Zoo Keeper DX App Review

While I personally have never been a major fan of games like Bejeweled, I do find them fun for a while, but their repetitive nature wears on me. The whole connect-3 genre is hard-pressed for innovation, which is part of what makes Zoo Keeper DX a very intriguing game. To start off, if you’re not a fan of Bejeweled then I am not sure Zoo Keeper DX will do enough to make you change your opinion, but I found it to be a more enjoyable and intense experience than Bejeweled.

If you’re not familiar, Zoo Keeper DX is the mobile port of a fairly popular Japanese puzzle game that originated on the GameBoy Advance with subsequent releases on the PS2 and Nintendo’s DS. The biggest difference between Zoo Keeper and other games of its genre is that for the main mode you are instructed to collect certain amounts of animals, and when you have secured ‘x’ number of each animal that round is over and another one starts with a slightly higher objective. This twist adds a nice layer of depth and because you’re timed, makes for a much more intense game. Frantically scanning the board for that last chain of pandas is certainly an unique experience. This is aided by the changing facial expressions of the animals who do not like to be kept waiting. Other than the running counter above the playing field, the angry expressions of the animals you’ve neglected to capture remind you of your objective and also give the game more heart.

Unfortunately, I found myself playing this game on silent a lot because the the repetitive soundtrack gets very annoying very quickly, and the decent sound effects don’t do enough to make up for this. The graphics are your typical pixel art, which look great, and all the menu’s are local and well implemented. Overall, Zoo Keeper DX is a solid puzzle game for anyone looking, but if you’re not a fan of similar titles there just isn’t enough here to warrant a change.

Zoo Keeper DX App Review Rundown

6

Graphics/Sound - The graphics are very good, but the sound design need a lot of work.

10

Controls - Navigating is easy throughout the menus and the tap controls are so simple it's nearly impossible to mess up.

9

Gameplay - Tried and true line-em-up gameplay but with innovative new twists that make this game feel fresh.

8

Replay Value - With the above twists to a classic formula, Zoo Keeper DX has its addicting moments although you probably won't be loosing much sleep.

8

Overall - Zoo Keeper DX is a faithful port of a fan favorite game for the DS and fans will love the ability to play this fun game on their mobiles. However, a few slight problems keep this game from becoming a sure thing.